Photo of ultrarunner feeding her baby goes viral
The UK woman paused mid-race to breastfeed
British ultrarunner Sophie Power was running the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc and arranged with her husband to meet at aid stations along the route so she could feed her three-month-old son, Cormac.
The athlete is a regular competitor in endurance events but stopped running when she was five months pregnant. She kept her fitness levels up however by continuing to work out regularly.
“In a typical race I would get in and out of the aid stations as quickly as possible but here I had to focus on keeping down enough food for me and for Cormac, and resting,” she told Sky News.
Sophie finished a 107-mile non-stop run around Mount Blanc climbing 10,000m in 43.5 hours while continuing to feed her child.
Despite the media interest, the modest mum of two posted on Instagram saying that the story was not about her.
“It’s a story about the daily struggle of being a new Mum,” Sophie shared. “A story about the need to nurture our babies the best we can. And the importance to prioritise our physical and mental health - to be ourselves as well as be a mother.
“I have been overwhelmed by the positivity and supportive messages. They are for all mothers for we are all in this together.”
What a legend!
Nicola Conville has worked as a journalist and editor for more than 20 years across a wide range of print and online publications. Her areas of expertise are parenting, health and travel. She has two children; Lucy, age eight, and Nathan, age five.
